Australia Optimistic About Confederations Cup

19 Juin 2017

June 19, 2017 at 18:00, in Sochi, will be another match in the first round of the worldwide tournament - the Confederations Cup, in which the stadium "Fisht" national team of Australia will play against Germany.

With the Germans set to name an inexperienced side for this meeting, Australia will be aiming to lay down a marker with a famous victory.

Only Shkodran Mustafi, Matthias Ginter and unsafe PSG winger Julian Draxler from the World Cup winning squad have been selected for the Confederations Cup campaign, as Joachim Low looks to experiment in readiness for the defence of their world crown next year.

Seven of his current squad were in the side that day, including goalscorer James Troisi, and Postecoglou said he expected the memory of that day to be front of mind.

But Cahill has faith in both his team's preparation and ability.

"They know they have to produce".

A couple of those Germanys might win two, even three future World Cups by the end of the next decade, if Low dares turn up the optimism filter in his imagination to full beam.

If he takes the field three times, he'll notch 100 caps for Australia.

Cahill admitted eyeing the milestone, but he'd rather have a winners medal.

"The size of your squad and how healthy your players are becomes really, really important as you get deeper into the tournament".

"Obviously I play in Italy where these things unfortunately happen quite often", Ruediger said.

"For us as a group of 23 players, it's about contributing".

"It's the way that we start; high tempo, discipline, and don't take a step backwards against these guys because a lot of them are kids as well". That being said, this seems like a game to much for Australia and I think that they will be comfortably beaten by the Germans.

"We've gone onto the world stage and competed, not just going there and being physical".

Timo Werner has been stunning in Bundesliga this season but might just be edged out by Lars Stindl in the starting lineup against Australia, if Loew opts to go for a more experienced head to partner Wagner.

"I'm not buying into this "one team's younger" and somehow we're playing a weakened team". "We're here to win it".

"I don't know him personally but I know him as a player", Degenek says.

After being comprehensively beaten 4-0 by Brazil in a friendly on Tuesday, Australia has arrived at the eight-team Confederations Cup on a low.

"I'm confident because we're in a good space, we play some great football ... against Germany, there's nothing to fear, especially this team here. They're also moving in their forward positions", he said yesterday.

Bierhoff said he would like to see the young team come together for World Cup title defence next year in Russian Federation.

Having left captain and first-choice goalkeeper Manuel Neuer at home, he nominated Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno to play against the Socceroos. Robbie Kruse is going to be one of their key players, against Germany.

"Australia will be playing very quickly. They were fine. They were supportive and we're all in it together regardless of whatever happens".